Cuy Frito (or fried guinea pig)

We promised ourselves guinea pig before we came and here it is. Nicely chopped in half and presented as above with garlic potatoes and rice. Rachel quite enjoyed the meat she nibbled from the front leg. I got a bit more stuck in so am undertaking the review.

Fried Guinea Pig: clearly, the presentation was excellent- anything without a head would have been a disappointment. Where to start eating was the initial problem but the legs pulled off easily so we started with a leg each. The taste is somewhat like chicken thigh meat but tangy and with a a hint of pork thrown in. The outer parts had a good fried flavour but when I tried a large piece of skin I found it too tough and chewy and it took me a good minute to get to a point where I was happy to swallow. The rump proved the part with the most meat and the most tender at that; it was verging on delicious. A little more meat was to be had by sucking the dead rodents little ribs one by one. Some entrails were included which I would guess were liver, kidney and possibly heart. I nibbled these with trepidation only to find they were really rather good, except for one round piece that was very firm and rubbery; I left it. As the head was so neatly dissected I assumed that that brain is a high point for the guinea pig connoisseur. The fried side looked nice and bread-crumby but in fact it had the same texture as the white part underneath- a mush like a mousse in the mouth. If the eye or furry nose are delicacies then I missed out. Overall eating a fried guinea pig was not unpleasant but it was a lot of effort for a little meat. If I went back I would opt for the other local speciality of duck and rice. Perhaps a whole, fatter specimen would be better- we will search for a juicy one in a few weeks when my Mum and Rachel's folks are here.